New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-06-20
VICTORIAN MUSIC.


nm rRANCIs HUEFFERs REVIEW OF MUSIC IN ENG
LAND DURING THE LAST FIFTY YEARS.
DR. Francis Huefer Is, so far as we have seen, the
Srst Of the English critics in the field with review
OF music in England during the fifty years Of Queen
victora's reign Those who have read Dr. Huehers
writings In "The London Times" OF VINO
know his admirable book on tho uou-
badour., Will doubtless aereo WIN W.
that he is the hest equipped Of all writer's 10 JUS
cuss The interesting and timely subject MOI OH!
aoes ho command compact and forceful style but no
has indepcndenoe and his judgment is not swayed py
that trucking subscrvcncy TO all things English wcn
renders the bulk of what Is written on ART In hheau
almost vaueIess His review is justly apprecative
Of the strngs OF the younger English school which has
lately arisen but on the whole IT is not 50 natterins
10 national pride to make II a popular document
during these jubilee days. when the efforts OF writer's
md sneakers are all addressed to the one object Oh
showing how far Great Britain surpasscs all 'ho r's'
of creation and how much moro has been doho "u',s
Vctorias reign than during any other penoa Vi his
tory. .t,
Dr IIncfer asserts at tho outset that In ho'hihe
save natural science has the halfcentury reign oi 'o
Ouccn wrought 80 a great change a. In the love VI
music but he restricts this praise to the splriu III
which music Is regarded both by the artists WIN
practlss 1t and by the amateurs who enjoy IL III
more or less active manner and reserves the prdctoo
md productivencss Of the art for discriminating us
custom He shows that the attitude OF Engn-h
society toward music fifty years ago was csscntlal!
that of Lord Chesterfield when he warned his son agST'
q tendency toward being Hddlcr,' even III tno
amateur sense, wholly unworthy OF an hhelisH
gentleman. This attitude he thinks il DeconIhs On
tinct. Such eoncmptuous treatment OF the ar'' nc
Saws zig confined nowadays TO official persons, sn'h
as nrovncil MAYORS church and law dgnltares, ana
tho members of the British Government, which,
whether Wing or Tory, wnstcs every year huge sum
Of public money teaching little ooauschoo'
children to sing by ear While II declines 10 give
any support TO tho higher Development OF the arV'
with tho exception OF tunpeIy sum Oh ~"o0 Pol
nnnum grudginely dOlcd out TO the Royal Academy.
III. IIuolIor argues against the assertion Oh eH
Gcorgc Maciarlca that the decline ana fan OF Ehgsh
music was duo more to the accession OF the HOUSE
of Hanover than to the intolerance Of the Puri'ahs
and shows that Queen Victoria has iron the hIs0
acted upon tho wise principle OF encouraging the aft
quite indel evidently of the narrow pIeIudcts Oh
nationality" Naturally he refers also to the queen
love for music and the Prince CoIsorts merit a.
composer and relates again the story which Mchucis
sohn told chaminsly i'll one Of his letters Oh no"
the young Queen hai sung sOhic OI LIS sOes I0i '"
composers pleasure
Or. Huciier hnGs that concert music was III p'i
full state i'll 1851, but that though the season of
Italian opera was considered by contemporaries Is
duh and dIeary, Gris Labache, Rubin ana fasla
were heard at Her Majestys Theatre, Speaking VI
tho changes during the last nity years among olheI
soe iety which he says declined into the vale of
years and shows the signs OF senescclcc; Italidl
cesled to cxisG It's rain being de to the star
system and the cdprices anu extraordinary dcnaAds
ON tho part OF leading singers which II eneenuers
lie nnds that orchestral music has mace enormous
strides during the lat twenty years, more PaTt4cu
larry through the merit OF Nj. Manus and Hans
Richter, While chamber music took It's rise duiEIS
Nictorias reign, the allusiOn being to the Musical
Union of Mr.. John Ella who l. stlI awe at thc age
of eighty-hve years. The Monday Popular concerts
began 1859, and in April OF this year the one
thOusandth of these entertainments took place. On
the subject Of the innumerabie smaller concerts In
London Dr. Huoher writes III the same spirit rs the
musial pilgrim who recorded his impressions In THIS
Journal about year ago Hear HIM; " NJ 81 james
Hail and smaller concert rooms 10 LAY nOthlnG
OF innumcTable private houses, fake sentiment and
arfaut mediOcrity flourish III the shape OF the royalty
song called from the blacknaI which the singer
levies composer and publisher for advertising by
his performance what he must know to be the most
unqualified trash This j. hravcly and honestly
spoken and it j. a delight TO hear the ringing words
Dr Hcuner looks hopefully upon the work doing 10y
the higher musical schools. but dcplocS the inferior
position which dramatic music occupies both in Ill
struction and public appreciation and points 10 the
facts that Waener's later music dramas have never
been presented in London with success and that the
largest city m the void i. able 10 support English
opera during only month or : weeks Of the
year The review is brought to conclusion with
composers of England and this final estimate of the
prospect: If among this array Of talent genius,
In tho proper sense Of that muchabusei term. has
not vet made his appearance: # in secular music az
least We have not distirctvey national type Of art
we NAV take heart Of grace from the thought that
ccptons, extinct in other countries well q, our
own. 1t seems a. Nature after her effort IN
creating such men ~chUnann. NcUoyl--ohn. Lit.
Wagner, Be'lioz and Ver' had for time Icapscl
into a passive stage The visits or Buddhist,
angels. few AMI far between. j. pleasant TO think
that the next embodiment OF this Hcavcu-hoIn spirit
country Hero at least everything j, fro h and
hopeful and tho English prophet need lonrer fear
TIE, conditions are moro fav9fa' lc than at anv
otfer rcriol dining the long musical epoch. h'irt
ana ana h neco ,s very impoc summary Of which